Editorial calling for extensive AWB in Indianapolis

[ARperson]

The Indianapolis Star is a piece of ????. It's even worse since being bought by Gannet.

A couple of years ago, I was reading a story involving a kid who took a gun to school. The caliber was a .25mm. Yep, that's right. One quarter of a whopping millimeter.

It gets better. The next day, same story, different article, the caliber was reported as a 25 mm.

Geez. The kid goes from carrying a pin-prick to a bleepin' hand cannon.

 

[mainmech48]

Dean, boofus, et al: Consider me duly chastised.

In mitigation, I would offer that if someone else - no names, please! - had just finished reading several pages of semi-hysterical and patently specious drivel designed to incite the fatal goring of one of his personal oxen he might well have been distracted enough to overlook a bit of irony himself.

After reading the even-more-outrageous fabrications published in today's edition of the "Star", I need to go decompress. I believe I'll go out to the range with the SKS from my "extensive arsenal" and burn up some of my "vast horde" of "high-powered military ammo" while I still can.

 

[Dean Speir]

 

Not to worry, Main mech48… now you've "got" it.

No such "pass" should be afforded EricOKC or Jim Keenan, however. If'n you're gonna post, you should be able to at least read.

 

 

[Johnson]

someone should explain to the writer that the SKS was not one of the rifles covered in the ban.

 

[GLOCKT]

Flawed media

In yesterdays Star paper they showed a SKS and printed all the evil criteria on the cycle rate and bullet caliber.
The TV news showed a helicopter view of the crime scene.It clearly showed a AK variant on the ground redish brown pistol grip,detachable 30 round magazine.Since when does a AK turn into a SKS?
Then the main lead story on channel 6 news, the lead anchor states the weapon was a fully automatic SKS.O.K time to change the channel.
You'd think the media types would want the truth in reporting in understanding what they are actually talking about.Instead they aim for sensationalism in reporting a story filled with constent misleading info.
Officer Koe missed all his shots from his M4 and took down the shooter while swinging his rifle in a baseball bat fashion, eventually stopping the shooter with his issued pistol.Now where is his accountability for those flying .223 rounds?

 

[ZeroX]

Here's Don's website for the non-IN folks:

http://www.donsguns.com/

Attractive man, eh?

And I don't know about what most ranges charge but 13 bucks for a half hour of shooting seems a bit much.

 

[nico]

"It's better to own a gun and not need it
than to need a gun and not own it."

- Don Davis

so that's who coined that phrase. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw it. What a sleazeball

 

[R.H. Lee]

--------------------------------------
The SKS is patterned after the AK-47
-----------------------------------------------

Isn't it like saying the Model T is patterned after the new Ford Expedition?

Zunde-Don't be talkin' smack 'bout my SKS..............

 

[Johnson]

on the cycle rate and bullet caliber.

I wonder what they said, 800 rounds per minute? Where do you get those 800 round magazines, anybody know?

 

[Dean Speir]

Creepy!

 

If I was likely to see a guy that looks like Don Davis yelling on late night TV all the time, I probably wouldn't turn the set on after 2200 hours!

And speaking of looking like Davis, he reminds me of another notorious ol' gun-banner, Tom Lantos, D. CA.

 

 

[GLOCKT]

As wacky as this has all become, Don Davis did bring 1 of the first indoor shooting ranges to Indy.He's made his money here in Indy,this could be his bow out of the Indy eye.
Those of us with any character know what kind of buisness this man does.
It's a shame those of the unknowing, tend to believe, what this type of person has to say.
It's also a shame how blinded this citys' media is from the newspaper to tv reporting.Once again it makes us all look like hooligans.
Get the facts straight then report them is all I'm askin'.

 

[Daedalus]

Well if he was not allowed to stock SKS rifles he would be able to fit a couple more Gold plated TEC-9s and maybe another Nickel plated MAC-11 on his wall.

http://www.donsguns.com/Display/images/disp058b.jpg

 

[Jspy]

Most people educated in firearms around here will tell you that Don Davis is thought of as a joke in the business. Most of business is from the first time, I just need some kind of weapon, buyer who is as clueless as him. IIRC his name and business was also listed as one of the top producers of firearms listed as being used in crimes in this region of the US. Instances of straw purchases, etc. Of course he is the "go to guy" for local media because he always tells them what they want to hear, and that he isn't doing anything wrong, technically, because he is just doing business as the law allows. What a POS. He is right about one thing tho, its all about the money!

Also in a related issue, Congress- woman Julia Carson has suddenly appeared in all of her drunken glory, telling the media and such what a shame to have all of these assault weapons on the streets, and urging President Bush to extend the AWB. It shames me that people in this area would even vote someone with her character into public office. Gun issues aside, this woman is a joke as a representitive of the people who voted for her. Hell, she makes even Ted Kennedy look good.

 

[mainmech48]

Jspy: Think "Adam Clayton Powell" and it'll all become clear to you about the Julia Carson thing.

 

[fallingblock]

In 1985, while working in Indy.....

After being subjected to the late-night ads, I visited Don's shop.

I never went back.

Ugh!

The man does more damage to our cause than the 'antis' do.

 

[glocksman]

Well, the Star printed my letter but edited it quite a bit.

Original:

To the editor of the Star.

In reply to your editorial of August 20, 'Time to outlaw assault-style guns', I'd like to offer the following observations.

First, you claimed that the SKS rifle is a 'knock off' of the AK-47 assault rifle. This is false. The SKS was developed
in 1945 and has a fixed magazine with a 10 round capacity and a conventional shoulder stock and fires one shot with each pull of the trigger. The AK-47 was developed in 1947 and has a pistol grip stock and a 30 round detachable magazine. The SKS is in no way under any conceivable definition an 'Assault Weapon' as it doesn't even have a detachable magazine. The only thing the AK and the SKS have in common is the ammunition. Both rifles shoot the same 7.62x39 cartridge.

Second, the editorial mentioned that 'the SKS fires a 7.62-caliber bullet that is powerful enough to pass through body armor'.
This is true enough, but you fail to mention that almost all centerfire rifle cartridges will do the same thing. Banning rifles that can penetrate body armor would result in banning Grandpa's old Winchester .30-30 lever action or Dad's Remington 700 bolt action. Police body armor is designed to stop pistol bullets, not rifle bullets. In fact, the SKS's cartridge is less powerful than the .30-30 chambered in the Winchester 1894 lever action cowboy rifle. A ban on rifles that can penetrate police body armor would effectively ban 98% of all non .22 rimfire rifles in existance.

Third, Don Davis of 'Don's Guns' needs to get out of his shop and observe hunters in our neighboring states who do use arms such as the SKS for hunting. I know several hunters in Kentucky who use an SKS, as its medium power level cartridge and compact design make it an ideal inexpensive brush hunting weapon for game such as deer. A civilian legal semiauto only AK clone would make a similarly good brush gun for deer due to its size and ease of use.

Finally, rifle ammunition isn't 'designed' to penetrate body armor, it's designed to perform on game. The problem is that police armor is designed to protect against pistol ammunition and rifle ammo is much more powerful than pistol ammo. To sum it up, laws such as the ones you propose would do little to make it safer for the police, but would make criminals out of anyone who owns a 100 year old Winchester lever action cowboy rifle.

As printed in the Star

In reply to the Aug. 20 editorial, "Time to outlaw assault-style guns," I'd like to offer the following observations.

First, you claimed that the SKS rifle is a knockoff of the AK-47 assault rifle. This is false. The SKS was developed in 1945 and has a fixed magazine with a 10-round capacity and a conventional shoulder stock and fires one shot with each pull of the trigger. The AK-47 was developed in 1947 and has a pistol grip stock and a 30-round detachable magazine. The only thing the AK and the SKS have in common is the ammunition.

Second, the editorial mentioned that the SKS fires a 7.62-caliber bullet that is powerful enough to pass through body armor.

This is true enough, but almost all centerfire rifle cartridges will do the same thing.

Third, Don Davis of Don's Guns needs to get out of his shop and observe hunters in our neighboring states who do use arms such as the SKS for hunting.

Some hatchet job, eh?

 

[notbubba]

Why isn’t anyone in the area setting up a boycott of this guy?

 

[mainmech48]

Having read your posted letter prior to your sending it to the 'Star' I knew immediately that it had been changed significantly by the Op/Ed editor(s).

Were one to ask 'why?', I'll bet that their answer would refer you to the policy statement where they reserve the right to edit for 'space considerations'.

IMCO*, I find it only too predictable that the things removed to 'conserve space' consisted entirely of substantive points which directly addressed where and how their 'factual' data and reportorial inferences were in error.

The quite deliberate result is to present to those unfamiliar with the original text as submitted a rebuttal which seemingly accepts their premise and has been reduced to near-pedantry. In essence, 'Yes, but...' with all of the substance of the contradiction removed.

As a matter of curiousity, I'd be interested to know what rationalization the editor would present to explain his choices. Betcha it's a masterpiece of ethical sophistry.

*: In My Cynical Opinion